Man&#39;s undergarment



Sept. 21, 1965 c. CASEY MAN'S UNDERGARMENT 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 25, 1963 INVENTOR. CULLEN CASEY BY MAHONEY, M/ LEI? 8 RAMBO BY 44' ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1965 c. CASEY MAN'S UNDERGARMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1963 INVENTOR. CULLEN CASEY I BY MAHO/VEY MILLER a RAMBO 2 {M ATTORNEYS Sept. 21, 1965 c. CASEY 3,207,155

MAN'S UNDERGARMENT Filed July 25, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR CULLE N CASE Y BY MAHONE Y, MILLER 8 RAMBO ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,207,155 MANS UNDERGARMENT Cullen Casey, Huntington, W. Va. (2045 Cranston St., Cranston 9, R1.) Filed July 25, 1963, Ser. No. 297,629 3 Claims. (Cl. 128159) This invention relates, in general, to a mans undergarment. It relates, more specifically, to an undergarment adapted to provide support for the wearer.

Mens undergarments of the form referred to as brieftype shorts as heretofore constructed are not designed for and are not capable of providing adjustability as to the degree of support. Undergarments of this type thus do not fulfill the functions of a supporter. It is often desired to have the advantages of a supporter but the garments currently available are not suitable for this purpose which necessitates the wearing of a supporter of the usual construction in addition to the shorts. This is undesirable as it requires the wearing of two garments or articles .of wearing apparel and the supporters of current construction do not include means of adjustment for accommodation of instances where lesser degrees of support are desired.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a mans undergarment as an article of wearing apparel which also serves as a supporter.

It is another object of this invention to provide a mans undergarment as an article of wearing apparel having a pouch portion adjustably fastened to the waistband thereof to serve as a supporter.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mans undergarment as an article of wearing apparel having a pouch portion adapted to serve as a supporter and which is adjustably suspended from the waistband of the garment to which it is releasably attached by a selfsealing adhesive readily permitting infinite adjustment for obtaining the desired degree of support.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a mans undergarment as an article of wearing apparel having a pouch portion adapted to serve as a supporter and is comfortable to wear and which is economical to manufacture.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a mans undergarment constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the undergarment.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the undergarment.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the undergarment with the pouch portion thereof unsupported.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the undergarment similar to FIGURE 3 but with the pouch portion adjusted to provide a lesser degree of support.

Having reference to the drawings, an undergarment constructed in accordance with this invention is illustrated and comprises a tubular body having front and back parts designated by the numerals and 11, respectively. The garment is preferably fabricated from a knit fabric of a type well known in the manufacture of mens undergarments with the front and back parts 10 and 11 being joined together at each of their respective sides. A waistband 12 is affixed to the upper edges of the front and back parts 10 and 11 for engaging the wearers waist and maintaining the garment in position. In the present embodiment, the waistband 3,207,155 Patented Sept. 21, 1965 12 is fabricated from a non-elastic material formed as an elongated fabric tape .or webbing which is sewn to the body substantially around the upper edges of the respective front and back parts.

A side opening is formed in the body at the juncture of the front and back parts 10 and 11 to facilitate the wearers donning of the garment and subsequent removal, and to provide a convenient means for varying the size of the waistband. The side opening is formed by severing the front and back parts 10 and 11 along a vertical line for a distance extending below the upper edges thereof. A binding or tape 13 is sewn around the marginal edges of the respective parts, forming a slit which opens at the waistband. The waistband 12 is also severed at the side opening and is provided with a suitable fastening means for detachably securing the ends together.

A self-sealing adhesive-type fastening means is illustrated in the drawings (see FIG. 4) although it is to be understood that other well-known types of fastening means may also be utilized. The self-sealing adhesive consists of two cooperative members 14 and 15, which are of elongated tape form and sewn to respective marginal ends of the waistband 12. One member 14 is of elongated tape form which is attached at one end to the waistband and is adapted to overlap the other member 15. Member 14 is formed with a fleecy fiber surface portion and the other member 15 is provided with a multiplicity of barbs or burrs on an opposed surface. By pressing the members together, the barbed surface of member 15 will sealingly engage the fleecy fiber surface of member 14 and thereby prevent relative shearing movement of the members. This type of fastening means thus readily permits adjustment of the waistband 12 to the desired size. Disengaging of the fastening means to facilitate removal of the garment or further adjustment of the waistband is readily accomplished by laterally separating the members 14 and 15 since little resistance is encountered in this direction. As the garment is worn, the forces exerted on the fastening means are directed longitudinally of the waistband consisting principally of shearing forces which will not readily separate the members 14 and 15.

Without departing from the scope of the invention, the waistband 12 may be fabricated from an elastic material. Utilizing an elastic material would eliminate the necessity for a side opening such as has been described. The elastic waistband would permit the garment to be donned or removed with little difiiculty by simply expanding or contracting as may be necessary and would accommodate varied waist sizes. Obvious modifications required for utilization of an elastic material would be to omit the side opening slit and the fastening means and to make the waistband continuous.

In accordance with this invention, a pouch portion 16 is provided which is of novel construction to permit adjustment thereof to obtain the desired support. The pouch portion 16 is also preferably fabricated from a knitted fabric and may be integrally formed with the back part 11 or otherwise joined thereto along the lower edge thereof. The pouch portion 16 is also joined to the front part -10 along the lower edge thereof and thus separates the front and back parts 10 and 11 at their lower edges, forming two leg openings. Ea'ch leg opening is provided with a binding tape =17 which is sewn to the lower edges of the front and back parts 10 and 11 and the marginal edge of the interconnecting pouch portion 16. The tape 17 reinforces the marginal edges of the leg openings and serves to join the pouch portion '16 to the front part 10. As is best shown in lFIG. 4, the pouch portion 16 is only joined to the front part '10 by the tape bound marginal edges. The junctures of the opposite marginal edges of the pouch portion 16 with the lower edge of the front end member 19 slidabl y disposed therebetween.

part '10 are spaced apart with the junctures being on opposite sides of the center of the front part and an access opening is thus formed between the lower edge of the front part and the pouch portion. A binding 18 is also sewn to the lower edge of the front part intermediate the points of attachment of the pouch portion 16 for reinforcement of the knitted fabric. The intermediate section of the lower edge and binding 18 are arcuately curved upwardly as shown in FIG. 4 to increase the area of the access opening.

The pouch portion 16 is formed with an elongated free end member 19 which is adapted to extend upwardly toward the waistband '12. The free end member 19 may be integrally formed with the pouch portion and comprise an extension thereof. A binding tape 20 is also s wn to the marginal edges of the pouch portion 16 and the free end member 19. Preferably, the marginal edges of the pouch portion and free end member are convergent in an upward direction to provide a single point of suspension for the pouch portion.

Attached to the marginal end of the free end member 19 is an elongated tape or webbing 21 which forms an extension thereof. The tape 21 forms one member of a pouch-fastening means utilized in de'ta'chably securing the free end member 19 to the waistband 12 and thus supporting the pouch portion 16. In the present embodiment, the waistband 12 is not sewn to the upper edge of the front part 10 along a portion thereof adjacent the center, thus forming a slit S through which the tape 21 may project. The free end member 19 and the tape 21 extend upwardly over the exterior surface of the front part '10 and the tape 21 will continue upwardly adjacent the interior surface of the waistband 12. A binding 22 may also be sewn to the marginal upper edge of the front part '10 adjacent the slit S for reinforcing of the fabric. The tape 21 forming a member of the fastening means is of a length adequate to be looped or folded over the Waistband 12 with the end projecting downwardly as in FIG. 3.

The fastening means is also preferably of the self-sealing adhesive type which permits infinite adjustment of the pouch ortion 16. The tape 21, which forms one member of the fastening means, may thus .be provided with a multiplicity of barbs on one surface thereof. In this instance, the barbed surface is disposed adjacent the waistband 12. A second member of the fastening means consists of an elongated strip 23 having a fieecy, fiber surface which is sewn to the waistband 12 at the outwardly facing surface thereof. The pouch portion 16 may thus be secured to and supported from the waistband 12 by pressing the members of the fastening means into sealing engagement. When thus pressed into sealing engagement, the tape 21 folded over the waistband 12 is retained in position as the shearing forces are resisted by the fastening means. Folding the tape 21 over the waistband 12 is of particular advantage in preventing inadvertent separation of the two members of the fastening means. The members may be readily disengaged by laterally separating the members; however, such movement is not inadvertently possible since the tape 21 extends behind the waistband 12.

An additional pair of tapes or bindings 24 are sewn to i the front part 10 to limit the vertical spacing of the lower edge thereof relative to the upper edge and waistband 12. Each tape 24 extends substantially vertically between the waistband 12 and the binding tape 17 around the respective leg opening. The tapes 24 are also sewn to the waistband .12 and to the bindings 17 at the juncture thereof with the pouch portion 16.

A retaining strap 25 is provided across the front part 10 to maintain the free end member 19 in association with the surface of the front part. The retaining strap 25 is formed from an elongated web of fabric which is horizontally disposed across the front part 10 with the free Each end of the strap 25 is secured to one of the vertical tapes 24 and is adapt-ed to lie fiat relative to the surface of the front part 10. The strap 25 is spaced ,a distance upwardly from the lower edges of the front part so as to extend substantially tangential to the arcuate edge of the access opening as defined by the binding 18.

In donning the garment, the wearer initially disen-gages the side opening, as shOWn in FIG. 4, and, if desired, similarly disengages the pouch portion fastening means consisting of the tape 21 and the cooperative loose fiber strip 23. The waistband 12 is then reconnected, after donning the garment, by pressing member 14 into sealing engagement with the cooperative member 15 at the point where the waistband 12 will be of the correct size. At this time the free end member 19 and its tape 21 are threaded upwardly between the strap 25 and the front part 10 and through the slit S formed at the juncture of the waistband 12 and the upper edge binding 22 of the front part. The tape 21 and free end members 19 are drawn upwardly until the pouch portion 16 provides the desired degree of support and the terminal end of the tape is folded downwardly over the waistband 12, as shown in FIGS. '1 and 2. After being folded down, the tape 21 is pressed into sealing engagement with the loose fiber strip 23 and thus suspends the pouch portion 16 from the waistband.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the pouch portion 16 as it is supported in one position. By adjusting the fastening means, the degree of support obtainable may be accordingly adjusted. Assuming that the adjustment in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 provides the maximum support, other adjustment-s may be made as is illustrated in FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, the pouch portion has been lowered to substantially re duoe the tension on the fabric thereof and thus provides less support.

It is readily apparent that the mans undergarment of this invention is also capable of adequately serving as a supporter. The pouch portion is readily adjustable to provide the desired degree of support. The garment is easily adjusted to fit the wearer and is economical to manufacture.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed 1s:

1. A mans undergarment comprising a front part and a back part fabricated from a yieldable fabric joined together along their side edges, a waistband aflixed to the upper edge of said front and back parts, a pouch portion joined to and separating said front and back parts at their lower edges to form two leg openings therewith, said pouch portion being joined only at the marginal edges thereof to the lower edge of said front part with the marginal edges being relatively spaced therealong and forming an access opening between the adjacent surfaces of said front part and said pouch portion and including an elongated free end member formed therewith and adapted to extend upwardly toward said waistband, a pair of reinforcing tapes disposed substantially vertically relative to said front part with one end of each tape attached to the lower edge of said front part and the other end being attached to said waistband, said tapes being disposed at opposite sides of said access opening to limit the spacing between said waistband and the lower edge of said front part, and fastening means carried by said waistband and the free end member of said pouch portion cooperatively engageable for adjustably supporting said pouch portion from said waistband.

2. A mans undergarment according to claim 1 wherein said waistband is only partially afiixed to said front part forming an elongated slit between said waistband and the upper edge of said front part at substantially the center thereof, and wherein said fastening means comprises a self-sealing adhesive including a first member carried by said waistband on the exterior surface thereof and a second member of elongated tape form attached to the upwardly extending free end member of said pouch portion and being extendable upwardly through said slit and foldable downwardly over said waistband adjacent the exterior surface thereof, said first and second members adapted to be pressed into sealed engagement.

3. A mans undergarment comprising a front part and a back part joined together along their side edges, a waistband affixed to the upper edge of said back part and at least a portion of the upper edge of said front part forming an elongated slit between said waistband and the upper edge of said front part at substantially the center thereof, a pouch portion joined to and separating said front and back parts at their lower edges to form two leg openings therewith, said pouch portion being joined only at the marginal edges thereof to the lower edge of said front part with the marginal edges being relatively spaced therealong and forming an access opening between the adjacent surfaces of said front part and said pouch portion and having an elongated free end member adapted to extend upwardly toward said waistband, and fastening means carried by said waistband and the free end member of said pouch portion cooperatively engageable for adjustably supporting said pouch portion from said waistband, said fastening means comprising a self-sealing adhesive including a first member carried by said waistband on the exterior surface thereof and a second member of elongated tape-form attached to the upwardly extending, free-end-member and being extendable through said slit so as to be adapted to be pressed into sealed engagement with said first member when folded downwardly over said waistband.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MAN''S UNDERGARMENT COMPRISING A FRONT PART AND A BACK PART FABRICATED FROM A YIELDABLE FABRIC JOINED TOGETHER ALONG THEIR SIDE EDGES, A WAISTBAND AFFIXED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID FRONT AND BACK PARTS, A POUCH PORTION JOINED TO AND SEPARATING SAID FRONT AND BACK PARTS AT THEIR LOWER EDGES TO FORM TWO LEGS OPENINGS THEREWITH, SAID POUCH PORTION BEING JOINED ONLY AT THE MARGINAL EDGES THEREOF TO THE LOWER EDGE OF SAID FRONT PART WITH THE MARGINAL EDGES BEING RELATIVELY SPACED THEREALONG AND FORMING AN ACCESS OPENING BETWEEN THE ADJACENT SURFACES OF SAID FRONT PART AND SAID POUCH PORTION AND INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FREE END MEMBER FORMED THEREWITH AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND UPWARDLY TOWARD SAID WAISTBAND, A PAIR OF REINFORCING TAPES DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY 